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Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials

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<strong>Clinical</strong> <strong>Trials</strong>: A Practical Guide ■❚❙❘ConclusionTables are an effective way of presenting numeric data concisely, and are usefulfor presenting both the baseline characteristics of patients in each treatmentgroup and the detailed results from a clinical trial. Tables should not be too largeor complex to avoid overwhelming the reader, nor should they be too short, wherethe information might have been better incorporated within a few lines of text.Careful consideration is needed about what tables and figures to incorporatewithin a report and subsequent manuscripts, paying attention to the best way ofpresenting different types of information, as well as the maximum number allowedby journal editors. Tables need to be labeled sensibly, in such a way that the readercan understand the information contained within the table without reference tothe text. Good tables, along with relevant figures (see the next chapter), allow trialconstruction to be clearly understood and results to stand out in a reader’s mind.References1. Moher D, Schulz KF, Altman DG. The CONSORT statement: revised recommendations forimproving the quality of reports of parallel-group randomised trials. Lancet 2001;357:1191–4.2. Day RA. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1998:61–9.3. Muir KW, Lees KR, Ford I, et al. Magnesium for acute stroke (Intravenous Magnesium Efficacyin Stroke trial): randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2004;363:439–45.4. Villar J, Ba’aqeel H, Piaggio G, et al. WHO antenatal care randomised trial for the evaluationof a new model of routine antenatal care. Lancet 2001;357:1551–64.5. Barwell JR, Davies CE, Deacon J, et al. Comparison of surgery and compression withcompression alone in chronic venous ulceration (ESCHAR study): randomised controlledtrial. Lancet 2004;363:1854–9.6. Huth EJ. Writing and Publishing in Medicine. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,1999:139–50.7. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. Notes for Contributors.Available from: www.bps.org.uk/publications/jHP_6.cfm. Accessed May 5, 2005.8. Wong, I. Editing tables of data. Queensland: Technical editor’s eyrie. Available from:www.jeanweber.com/howto/ed-table.htm. Accessed May 5, 2005.9. Altman DG, Bland JM. Presentation of numerical data. BMJ 1996;312:572.405

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